Lake Bluff trustees coalesce on 'up to three days' for special events and to memorialize status-quo flag policy

The Lake Bluff Village Board of Trustees’ committee-of-the-whole agreed April 27 to limit most special-event permits on village property to "up to three days" and to memorialize the village’s current flag practice in policy, while leaving a narrow process for exceptional requests.

The move follows a multi-week discussion and work by a trustee subcommittee and village counsel to reconcile event-permit language with the sign code. Trustees said the intent is to reduce multi-week displays while permitting flexible short events: "I think three days for a special event is fine," Trustee Ryder said during the discussion, summarizing the majority view that a 48–72 hour window covers typical weekend events while allowing staff to consider exceptions for unusually complex, volunteer-run events.

Why it matters: trustees emphasized the difference between the time an event is authorized to occupy village property and separate temporary-sign rules that govern advance advertising on light poles or private property. Staff explained that event-related signage typically goes up the day of a one-day event and is removed the same day, whereas other temporary-sign categories (for example tactical signs at key intersections) follow a separate permitting process.

Trustees debated wording — whether to state "one to three days" or "up to three days" — and settled on the latter to make clear the limit and to permit an exception process when justified. Board members said two days would have covered many uses but that three days was a reasonable upper boundary for historically recurring events such as volunteer-driven festivals and the ghost walk.

On flags, the board discussed three policy options: (A) fly only government flags; (B) memorialize the status-quo practice in policy; or (C) adopt a broader celebration policy that would create a formal process for non-government displays. Several trustees and village counsel warned that designating village poles as an open forum can create legal and management complications — including challenges about selective acceptance of messages — and expressed concern about "monopolization" of village-owned display space.

As a result, trustees indicated consensus around option 2B — putting the status-quo practice into a written policy — while leaving room for a controlled petition process (a 2C variant) to be considered on a case-by-case basis. Trustees and counsel also noted practical constraints at some poles (height, nearby trees) that limit the kinds of flags that can be flown.

Public input: Jennifer Baylor, a resident who applied last year to wrap trees on the village green in Pride colors, asked the board to allow a longer, "meaningful period" for that kind of community display; she said last year’s wrapping stayed on roughly two weeks. Trustees replied that if the wrapping is part of a permitted special event it could be covered by the three‑day allowance, while non‑event displays generally follow the sign code or separate temporary-sign procedures.

What’s next: the chair said the board will return the proposed ordinance and policy to a future meeting for formal action after final edits. The committee did not take a formal roll-call vote on the policy at this meeting; minutes from the session and the draft language will accompany the item when it returns to the board.

Speakers quoted or referenced in this article include Trustee Ryder and multiple trustees and staff who participated in the discussion.